Ala Archa

Last week we left the smoggy streets of Bishkek behind for the crisp mountain peaks of Ala Archa National Park. Just 30 kilometers from central Bishkek, the park offers city dwellers and visitors open space and fresh air without much hassle. We weren't sure how to get there, so we consulted a number of sources: three Russian-language teachers, two Kyrgyz-language teachers, one Bishkek expat Facebook group, and one travel agent. We figured it out, eventually, and I'll summarize our findings at the end of the post, but the real story here is how we…continue reading →